How to Care for a Saint Bernard

The secret to success with the Saint Bernard, as with any large dog, is early training. Teach it to obey as a puppy, and its large size will be quite manageable when it matures. Remember that the Saint Bernard is a family dog and does not like to be alone.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Worming Medicine
• Dental Kits (for Dogs)
• Dog Beds
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Conditioner
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Flea/tick Control Medication
• Dog Food
• Dog Grooming Sprays
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Toys
• Dog Shampoo

1. Vaccinate your Saint Bernard and follow up with yearly booster vaccinations to maintain the dog's immunity to diseases. Worm your adult dog every three months, and consult your veterinarian about defleaing products.

2. Plan to feed your Saint Bernard 6 to 12 cups of food a day. Because the Saint Bernard is prone to bloat, remember to give it two or three small meals a day, as opposed to the normal one to two daily meals.

3. Give your Saint Bernard high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat if you want a quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent, and crude fat no less than 20 percent. Also, the fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less.

4. Contact the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals to learn more about hip dysplasia

5. Train your Saint Bernard early in life to socialize with children, people and other pets. Although a loyal and obedient dog by nature, the Saint Bernard can be difficult to manage because of its size alone.

6. Take your Saint Bernard on daily walks, but keep it on a leash. Because of its size, a Saint Bernard can quickly become unmanageable if it so desires. Bear in mind that they are slow-moving.

7. Be careful not to overexercise your Saint Bernard puppy in its first two years of life, when its delicate bones are still forming.

8. Brush your Saint Bernard's coat with a firm-bristled brush, as needed. Bathe your dog as needed. Keep in mind that they do shed a lot, so the more often you brush, the easier it is to handle the large amounts of fur.

9. Trim nails every two to three weeks.

10. Clean your Saint Bernard's eyes frequently with a moist cotton-wool pad. Be sure to use a new one for each eye.

11. Understand the health problems that a Saint Bernard is prone to. These include wobbler syndrome (a spinal disorder), heart and skin problems, hip dysplasia (a malformed ball and socket in the hip joint) and extropion (folding eyelid).

12. Be prepared to enjoy a full 8 to 10 years with your Saint Bernard - this is the Saint Bernard's average life expectancy.

Tips & Warnings

• Saint Bernards rarely bark unless there is just cause.
• It takes a couple of years for a Saint Bernard to mature mentally.
• Note that a Saint Bernard will reach an impressive size. Males grow to heights of 27 inches and weigh between 110 and 180 pounds. Females will reach a height of at least 25 inches and also weigh between 110 and 180 pounds.
• Saint Bernards tend to drool a lot.
• Saint Bernards have little desire to mate, which may present a problem if you wish to breed yours.
• This breed does not do well in the heat.
• Watch your Saint Bernard around small children. Although it would never intentionally harm a child, a Saint Bernard could knock one over.

[dogloverpisces]

on 11/22/2009 i have a 5 year old st bernard who has had some warts on his lower back...in the last couple of months i have noticed there are a lot more and they are moving up his back...i have talked to the vet about this every time i take him in and they dont think there is anything wrong...ive also noticed in the last month that his fur is not as thick and that he is losing weight...has anyone else had this kind of problem or know of anyone that has....would like more info before i head back to the vet...ty

[jbsinghlidher]

on 3/11/2009 dear nithin max,,,you should to give it up to only dahi , milk not pure if it is puppy , baby food only , light weight light calory things , dahi is must for your puppy for the growth .. [e-mail]

[nithinmax]

on 1/4/2009 Hi,

i owned a st.bernard (SIMBAA) male puppy of 4 weeks old. can any body suggest me what is the best diet for him.

[mkh128]

on 11/14/2008 I just adopted a saint bernard, and she is one of the best dogs i have ever owned, but she is rarely interested in food. I have made her satin balls (a hamburger egg recipe), homemade chicken soup, and even an in expensive steak. I add all of this to her regular food (moist and meaty). She has tired of both cheese and peanut butter so now i have to force her medicine down her throat (which is not pleasant for either one of us). She needs to gain about 30lbs, so any recipes or ideas are much appreciated!

[SaintDiego]

on 9/17/2008 I have read that Saint puppies should have adult food because they shouldn't have the higher protein in puppy foods. My Saint is 19 mos. old. This article says food should have at least 30% protein. What is the max protein percentage they should have? I am changing from Purina Pro Plan XL because of the ingredients. Thank you.